Pre-Existence and Eternality of Christ
The eternality and deity of Christ are inseparably linked together. Those who deny His eternality also deny His deity. If the deity of Christ is established, there is no problem in accepting His eternality.
DIRECT PROOF
New Testament.
There are numerous passages in the New Testament which explicitly affirm the eternality of Jesus Christ.
(1) John 1:1. The word “was” in the phrase, “In the beginning was the Word,” is the Greek
hen, the imperfect tense that stresses continual existence in past time. The phrase could thus be translated, “In the beginning the Word was continually existing.” John’s beginning probably goes back to the origin of the universe; John indicates that however far back one goes, the Word was continuously existing.
(2) John 8:58. Although Abraham lived two thousand years before Christ, He could say, “before Abraham was born, I am.” Although Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He claimed to have existed before Abraham. The tense is again important to notice. Before Abraham was born, Christ
was continuously existing. The statement “I am,” of course, is also a reference to His deity and a claim of equality with Yahweh. “I am” is a reference to Exodus 3:14, in which God identifies Himself as “I AM WHO I AM.”
(3) Hebrews 1:8. In verse 8 the writer of Hebrews begins a series of Old Testament quotations. The preface to those statements is, “But of the Son He says,” hence, the statements that follow refer to Christ. Therefore, the statement, “Thy throne, O God,
is forever and ever,” is a reference to the eternality of Christ.
(4) Colossians 1:17. Paul states, “
He is before all things,” stressing once more eternality and pre-existence of Christ through the use of the present tense.
Old Testament.
(1) Micah 5:2. This statement emphasizes that “His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” Although Jesus was born in Bethlehem (prophesied in this verse), that was not His beginning; He has existed “from the days of eternity.”
(2) Isaiah 9:6. Christ is called the “Eternal Father.” This does not mean Christ
is the Father, because they are two distinct Persons within the Trinity. It does mean that Christ also possesses the title of Father. The designation suggests both His pre-existence and eternality.
Indirect proof. (1) Christ’s heavenly origin proves His eternal existence. John 3:13 stresses that Christ “descended from heaven.” If Christ came down from heaven then Bethlehem cannot have been His beginning. This verse indicates He dwelt in heaven before coming to earth, therefore, He is eternal (cf. John 6:38).
(2) Christ’s preincarnate work proves His eternal existence. John 1:3 says that Christ created all things (“all” is emphatic). If He created all things then He must be eternal (cf. 1 Cor. 8:6).
(3) Christ’s titles prove His eternal existence. (a)
Yahweh. In John 12:41 the apostle says that Isaiah saw “His glory,” a reference to Christ in the context. John, however, quoted from Isaiah 6:10 where He is clearly referring to Yahweh (cf. Isa. 6:3, 5). John thus equates Jesus with Yahweh, the Lord of the Old Testament; because Yahweh is eternal then Jesus is eternal. (b)
Adonai. In Matthew 22:44 Christ quotes Psalm 110:1, “The Lord said to My Lord,” and applies it to Himself. The term “Lord” is
Adonai, one of the Old Testament names of God. If Christ is designated Adonai, then He is eternal, for God is eternal.
(4) The theophanies prove His eternal existence. A theophany may be defined thus: “It is the Second Person of the Trinity who appears thus in human form.…The One of the three who is called LORD, or Jahweh, in the incident recorded in Genesis 18, is to be taken to be the Second Person of the Trinity.”
3 The identification of Christ with the appearances of the angel of the Lord (the theophany) can be demonstrated in the following manner. The angel of the Lord is recognized as deity. He is referred to as God (Judg. 6:11, 14; note in verse 11 He is called “angel of the Lord,” while in v. 14 He is called “Lord” ). The angel of the Lord in other instances is distinct from Yahweh because He talks to Yahweh (Zech. 1:11; 3:1–2; cf. Gen. 24:7). The angel of the Lord could not have been the Spirit or the Father, because neither the Spirit nor the Father are ever revealed in physical form (cf. John 1:18). The angel of the Lord no longer appears after the incarnation of Christ. There is no mention of the angel of the Lord in the New Testament; He ceases to appear after the birth of Christ.
